


Down the River of Golden Dreams

by Rroselavy



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-30
Updated: 2010-06-30
Packaged: 2017-10-10 08:15:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/97566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rroselavy/pseuds/Rroselavy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I took liberties with Koumyou's title, considering that he named Ukoku, who would then have been the 30th.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Down the River of Golden Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> I took liberties with Koumyou's title, considering that he named Ukoku, who would then have been the 30th.

Koumyou would remember it as the year that, if he'd celebrated the holiday, he'd have said that Thanksgiving came late. But rather than being gifted with a turkey with all the trimmings and a large family with which to partake the meal, Koumyou had plucked a covered wicker basket from the river's current.

Nestled inside had been the source of the incessant squalling that had plagued the monk for days. The infant, though, upon being exposed to the light, immediately fixated its remarkable violet-hued eyes on the houshi, and stilled.

"You, my son, have a very old soul," Koumyou had noted as he waded out of the waters, heedless of the scandalous expressions cast on the other monks' faces when he announced his plans to raise the boy.

Each year, Koumyou would celebrate that anniversary as young Kouryuu's birthday, steadfastly remaining oblivious to the shocked looks of disbelief of the other monks. First they were appalled at the sight of a Sanzo frolicking with a gleeful toddler—Kouryuu's plump fist in a deathgrip hold on Koumyou's long braid, and then as time passed, as a true sensei, imparting all of his wisdom onto an adoring acolyte—a river rat—one who was deemed to have had too humble origins to enjoy the attention of Koumyou Sanzo, The 29th of China.

But all of that was lost on Koumyou; his attention had become focused solely on Kouryuu's well-being. All of the responsibilities of his calling became perfunctory in nature, things he took care of to fulfill his obligations to his position, to clear his time so that he could fulfill his commitment to raising his son.


End file.
